Decorative ring and flexible insert for spray container



1963 H. B. FINKENZELLER 3,112,043

DECORATIVE RING AND FLEXIBLE INSERT FOR SPRAY CONTAINER Filed June 8, 1961 INVENTOR. HOWHRD 5. HNKENZELLER HTTORNEY United States Patent O 3,112,048 DECORATIVE RING AND FLEXIBLE INSERT FOR SPRAY CONTAINER I Howard B. Finkenzeller, Waterbury, Conn, assignor to Virjune Manufacturing Co., Inc., Waterbury, Conn.,

a corporation of Connecticut Filed June 8, 1961, Ser. No. 115,674 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-183) This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to a decorative ring having a flexible insert for permanent attachment to a spray container for dispensing liquids under pressure.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device of the above nature in which the flexible insert will absorb variations in the size of the container when covered with a decorative ring.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very eflicient and durable m use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 represents a side view in elevation and partially in section, of a perfume dispensing container having the improved flexible insert and decorative ring assembled thereon, and covered by the usual protective dome cap.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view on a larger scale, taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1, looking downwardly.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the flexible insert, shown by itself.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the same.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral indicates a spray container which may be in the form of a glass bottle, having a flanged reduced upper neck 11, surrounding which is a valve mounting cup 12, having a lower rim 13 crimped into the neck 11. The cup 12 also has an upstanding upper neck 14 which is apertured to surround a depres sible tubular valve stem 15. Mounted upon the valve stem 15 is a hollow substantially cylindrical valve actuating button 16 having a spray nozzle 17 on one side thereof (FIG. 1).

In order to permit a decorative metallic ring 25 to be tightly and securely fitted upon the glass bottle or other container 10 having a variable tolerance in its size, provision is made of a flexible insert 18 of compressible plastic or other suitable material comprising a cylindrical top ring 19, a cylindrical interiorly beveled bottom ring 20, integral with which is a conical section 21 communicating with a curved exterior annular groove 22 joined to the ring 19.

The flexible insert 18 is also provided with a plurality of V-notches 23 (four in this instance), each of which is open at the bottom and terminates at its upper end in a circular fillet 24, as clearly shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing.

The flexible insert 18 is embraced by the metallic decorative ring or neck piece 25, which has a flat horizontal apertured top section 26, below which is a cylindrical top rim 27, and an intermediate cylindrical rim 27a having a plurality of spaced outstanding nibs 27b (three in this instance). Between the rims 27 and 27a,

3 ,1 Patented Nov. 26, 1963 provision is made of an inwardly formed annular bead 28 which is adapted to fit within the curved annular groove 22 of the fiexible insert 18.

The bottom of the decorative ring 25 is provided with an enlarged fluted collar 29, the shape of which is most clearly shown in FIG. 2. The collar 29 is provided with an upturned resilient stiffening interior rim 30, as clearly shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing.

In order to complete the assembly of the device, provision is made of a protective dome shell 31 (FIG. 1) having a recessed flat top central section 32. The dome shell 31 has a lower flared substantially cylindrical section 33 which is adapted to detachably fit frictionally upon the nibs 27b of the decorative ring 25.

Operation In use, the flexible insert 18 may be assembled by pushing it downwardly over the upper end of the valve mounting cup 12 on the top of the spray container 10, as far as it will go. The decorative ring 25 will then by forced downwardly over the flexible insert 18, and the bead 28 will be forced into the groove 22 of the insert 18 to lock said ring 25 in tight permanent position on said container. Liquid perfume or other spray may then be dispensed from the pressurized container laterally through the nozzle 17 by pressing downwardly upon the valve actuating button 16.

One advantage of the present invention is that the decorative metallic ring 25 will be permanently secured upon the container 10 irrespective of variations in diameter of the latter due to tolerances in the manufacture thereof.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not limited to this specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other equivalent forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

In combination, a pressurized spray container having a flanged reduced upper neck, a tubular insert of compressible flexible material surrounding said neck to absorb tolerances in the size of said container, said insert having an exterior annular arcuate groove intermediate its upper and lower ends, and a decorative ring permanently fitted about the top of said container and said insert, said decorative ring having an intermediate bead extending into said groove to lock said decorative ring securely in position, said insert having a plurality of V-shaped open bottom notches to increase the flexibility of said insert and facilitate its assembly upon said container, each of said notches having a circular fillet at its upper end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,671,542 Perks May 29, 1928 1,820,406 Thompson Aug. 25, 1931 2,327,258 Gramp Aug. 17, 1943 2,835,418 Manetti May 20, 1958 2,966,283 Darvie Dec. 27, 1960 2,998,165 De Elorza Aug. 29, 1961 3,013,700 Steinkamp Dec. 19, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 239,287 Great Britain Sept. 7, 1925 

